‘We Are Not Going To Survive’: Artists Share Powerful Messages Ahead Of Election

The countdown is on to the 2022 federal election and with the arts still recovering as we navigate our way out of the pandemic, it’s not surprising that many artists are passionate about tomorrow.

The major parties have each pleaded their case in recent weeks, and ahead of the election tomorrow, we take a look at how some local artists are feeling.

While the entire industry has had a rough couple of years, it’s the climate crisis that a lot are urgently concerned with and talking about when it comes to voting.

Yesterday, Angie McMahon shared a powerful video to Instagram, captioned with, “Vote for climate.”

“This is an incredibly powerful and important moment in time,” McMahon noted, stating the current leadership “are absolutely failing” when it comes to addressing the increasingly more devastating climate crisis.

After a very well-spoken breakdown of the situation, McMahon added that we need to “vote wisely”.

“I’ve been reading that the Greens are the only major party who actually have a target that is in line with climate science… we are not going to survive this unless something is done about it and we do have the option to vote for leadership that is thinking about this stuff, but we have to use our power and our voice in this moment, otherwise the quality of our life and the length of our life is going to be drastically affected and the people who didn’t act on this will also be affected by it. But it’s going to be too late very soon.”

The post was rightfully praised by the likes of Gretta Ray, Adalita, Mia Wray and Jack River, the latter of whom also shared a powerful message in the lead up to the election.

“It’s a big big election,” River emphasised via Instagram.

“It’s up to you to decide what policies you care about, they may be completely different to the ones I care about. But either way, they’ll come to shape your lives & the lives of the people you love.

“If you don’t think it will affect you, or someone you know says that politics has nothing to do with them ~ you can ask; does Medicare make your life easier? Do you froth superannuation? Are you stoked that HECs exists? Do you think it’s right that we give land back to First Nations people? These are all major @australianlabor reforms.

“Some great liberal reforms exist too, like Malcolm Turnbull killing secret preference deals 💼 now we the people decide where our vote goes when our Number One candidate doesn’t get in.”

River also directed fans to three resources to help people “feel informed” when voting: ABC Vote Compass; AEC Candidate Search; They Vote For You.

L-FRESH The LION has stated on socials that “enough isn’t being done”, reiterating that the messages conveyed in his acclaimed single Mother are more relevant than ever.

“This is something most Australians are concerned about & it’s beyond time for our music to reflect that level of concern, & then amplified so this stays front of mind until our actions at a national & international level are on point.”

Sharing a series of memes based on the image of Scott Morrison tackling a child, Kira Puru stated: “pls find a place to vote early if you can’t make it this weekend. I don’t wanna see this fkn clown anymore 💕”

Unsurprisingly, Peter Garrett’s Twitter feed is also full of pleas to vote out Morrison, following a seething takedown of the PM during a Midnight Oil show last month.

"What is the problem with being clear and unambiguous about the fact that we’ve got a climate crisis?" he stated during the gig.

“Everybody knows it, we've known it for years and years, that's why I went into Parliament. And now we’ve got to do something about it.

"What is the problem with owning up and taking a bit of responsibility for what goes on? Whether it's the bushfires or the nursing homes, or whatever the hell.”

READ MORE: Not Sure Who To Vote For? Here's How The Major Parties Will Back The Arts